A wide variety of receptacles have been developed for holding, storing and transporting articles. These receptacles commonly include an open top side to facilitate loading and inspecting contents. For transport, these receptacles typically are mounted or placed on trucks or trailers. For instance, one such receptacle used to transport grain and the like is a hopper which is part of a tender mounted upon a truck or trailer. The hopper includes an open top side through which the grain is poured for filling the hopper.
Since receptacles are used commonly to contain and transport valuable contents, it is customary to provide cover arrangements for the open tops of these receptacles to prevent damage to such contents. That is, the cover arrangements protect the contents from relative exposure to damaging weather elements, such as sunlight and precipitation, and prevent the contents from escaping during transport. Typical cover arrangements include a tarp of flexible material, such as canvas, that is manually positioned across the open top of the receptacle, and which is secured by a number of tie downs, such as elastic straps or cords, with pins, latches and hooks.
Such typical cover arrangements are not entirely satisfactory for a number of reasons, which include the following. First, these tarps tend to be large and heavy. This makes positioning them over the opening relatively time consuming and inconvenient. Furthermore, this is especially the case when the receptacle is elevated, such as on a truck or trailer, or has high side walls. Likewise, removal of such cover arrangements is relatively time consuming and inconvenient.
Second, the securement of the tarp commonly requires one to install a plurality of the above-mentioned tie downs individually and to inspect the installation to ensure that the tarp is adequately secured. This tarp position and securing operation is even more cumbersome for a single operator to perform. Third, such tie downs tend to be relatively inadequate for they involve securing means, such as hooks or latches, which may become loose or detached during transit. This may allow the contents to escape and to become otherwise damaged.
Thus, there is a need for an all weather cover apparatus for receptacles which may be conveniently opened and closed and that does not involve suspectable tie downs, which may become loose. Also, it is desired that such apparatus be capable of actuation by a single operator.
A general object of the present invention is to provide receptacles with an all weather cover apparatus that mechanically reciprocates for convenient and reliable opening and closing operation by a single operator and which is suitable for a range of weather and transport conditions.
A further object is to provide an all weather, mechanically reciprocatable cover apparatus which is highly durable, efficient, and cost effective to manufacture, install and operate.